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Wales Deaf go Down Under for first major rugby tournament in over a decade

Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Wales Deaf Rugby team are heading to Australia for the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship.

It's the first Deaf Rugby Sevens tournament and will include teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and England.

Tournament Participants:

Australia

England

Fiji

Ghana

Japan

Wales

World Barbarian

Wales won the inaugural World Deaf Rugby Championship in New Zealand in 2002 but there hasn't been a major international tournament since.

I hope we win because it'll give the deaf community something to be proud of with the world deaf sevens.

– Will Thomas, second row

Second row Will Thomas (Llandeilo RFC) use British Sign Language as his first language. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

It's a bit of a once in a lifetime opportunity realistically. We'd like to progress deaf rugby throughout Wales - not only to adults but to children - so for them to go out there and do as well as they can, possibly even win the tournament that would be a great opportunity.

Some of the boys play a really good standard of rugby. Some of them are competing week in week out playing for Premiership, Championship teams. Others first, second division.

– Robert Coles, Wales head coach

The team is managed by volunteers and runs a community programme to introduce young deaf people to rugby.

The objective is to help young deaf people participate in the sport, encouraging them to join a local club and identify players who can represent Wales Deaf in the future.